Page 24 of Serving the Maestro

Unlike the first, this one I had a desire in repeating, but that could be awkward because Trent was a neighbor, and I already saw myself liking him.

However, he was only a temporary neighbor. No need to panic.

Romance, marriage, love, all that jazz, pun intended, was nothing I believed in, not after seeing what love could do to a woman.

My dad had fallen in love with my babysitter when I was a kid and abandoned my mother and me. He’d signed over rights and agreed to pay child support but had no interest in seeing me ever again. Eventually, I’d gotten over it; my mom never had. She’d died still broken inside. Why would I want to risk that kind of pain?

Temporary neighbors and short-lived sexual flings were the ideal relationships for me.

If only...

I sat up in bed, an idea taking root and exploding to life in seconds.

Why the hell not?

Hearing movement in the apartment beyond the bedroom, I lurched out of bed and darted for the nearby open door, hoping it was a bathroom.

It was.

Closing the door, I locked it and leaned against it, my heart racing and my mind whirling.

It could work.

Why the hell wouldn’t it work?

He was smart, funny, and decent. He played piano and looked healthy.

A giddy laugh threatened to bubble up out of me, and I clapped a hand over my mouth before it could.

After a few seconds, I thought I could behave relatively maturely, and I lowered my hand.

Pushing away from the door, I walked over to the mirror and faced my reflection. “It could work.”

* * *

Outside of my few experiences with men, confidence had never been my issue. I knew how to talk business, strike deals, and get what I wanted.

Trent struck me as somebody who’d appreciate that in a woman, both on a personal level and a professional one.

I took a few extra minutes to dry my hair, and when I left the bathroom wearing only a towel, I was pleasantly surprised to find my sweater, skirt, and bra waiting on the end of the bed. Glad I wouldn’t have to dart into the living room on a semi-naked clothes-hunting expedition, I got dressed.

I had no idea where my panties were but decided not to worry about it when a quick look around the bedroom didn’t yield anything.

Blowing out a breath, I put on a pleasant mask and left the bedroom.

The scent of coffee and bacon seduced me, making my belly rumble in demand.

Trent was leaning against the counter in the kitchen, shirtless as he sipped his coffee and read something on his cell phone. When he looked up at me, it was with a warm smile.

Some of the nervous knots in my belly eased.

That wasn’t the look of a man ready to kick a woman out after a night tangling up the sheets.

“Sleep well?” he asked.

“Very.” My cheeks warmed, but I didn’t look away.

“Same here.” His lashes lowered, the sleepy-eyed look incredibly sexy. Nodding at a cup on the counter, he said, “I didn’t know if you drank coffee, but I saved you a cup just in case.”

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